Part Eight
She Said
Morning sun shone brightly into the cottage as six of the Bob-Whites slept. It had been shortly before dawn when they had gotten to bed and most of them had fallen into a deep sleep almost as soon as they were in bed.
Trixie was still awake. Her churning thoughts had not allowed her to get any rest. After tossing and turning for a while, she had arisen and paced the living room until it was light. A brisk walk outside had followed, but had not helped with her inner turmoil. Finally, she decided to do something productive and fix breakfast for the group.
The smell of frying bacon soon roused the Belden brothers and they joined her in the kitchen. Brian started the coffee brewing and disappeared for a few minutes. When he returned, he poured himself a cup before saying anything.
Taking his first sip, he admitted, “I called Dad. You were right, Trixie.”
“I was?” she asked, slightly confused. “On what?”
“Uncle John’s birthday. The tip you gave us last night. The story I told you about a child with a different father did refer to Uncle John. Jim told me your deductions about the soldier, and they were right, too. His name was John Taylor and he was Dad’s grandfather’s best friend. He was killed in action. After Dulcie died, Great-Grandpa married his best friend’s fiancée, who was a few months pregnant and they named the baby John Taylor Belden.”
“So, why did Moms and Dad keep this a secret from me?” Trixie asked, in confusion. “I would have understood!”
Brian shrugged. “Lucius Englefield has periodically harassed the Beldens ever since Great-Grandpa remarried. He’s caused every sort of trouble you can imagine. At one point, they threatened to take out a restraining order against him. I guess they wanted you to keep away from him.”
“Like that would work,” Mart scoffed. “Trixie came here specifically because they didn’t tell her what it was about.”
“Well, why don’t you tell them that when we get home,” Brian advised testily. Draining his cup he set it on the counter and left the room.
A few moments later, Jim appeared in the doorway. Mart looked from his sister to his friend and suddenly decided to go somewhere else. “I’ll be back when the food’s ready,” he promised with a grin, leaving the other two alone.
Trixie leaned into Jim’s body as he came up behind her. In the pan, the bacon sizzled away. “Morning,” she greeted, enjoying the feeling of his arms around her. “Sleep well?”
She felt him shrug. “Not really.” He sighed into her hair. “What are we going to do, Trixie? Now that I’m certain there never was any curse, I get the feeling we’ve made a terrible mistake.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, despite the fact that she agreed with him. “I know,” she whispered. “I can’t help thinking about what we’re going to do when we get back. We don’t have anywhere to live, no permanent income…”
“I think we need to get some legal advice,” he suggested, tentatively. He dropped his voice to such a low whisper that she could barely hear it above the sizzling. “I don’t know whether we could get an annulment, but I think we should at least find out.”
Unable to speak around the lump in her throat, she only nodded.
“I’m so sorry, Trixie,” he whispered. “I never meant things to be this way.”
He Said
In his shabby, cluttered room, Lucius Englefield sat, his glasses sliding slowly down his nose. His elderly face wore a pensive expression as he gazed out of the single window to the cloudless sky beyond.
“She had a lucky escape,” he muttered to himself. “Those two must have taken my advice and quickly wed.” He turned his eyes to the row of thick shrubs which imperfectly masked the old house beyond. “She took my advice, but I will not take hers. While I live, that house will stand empty.”
He heaved himself out of the old armchair and wandered into the adjoining room. Passing by the cage containing his treasured avian companions, he opened the built-in closet and took down a photograph album of aged brown leather. Returning to his former seat, he carefully opened the book and gazed at the enlargement on the first page. The young woman depicted wore the dress and hairstyle of many decades before, a lively smile on her less-than-beautiful face.
“Poor, poor Dulcie,” Lucius murmured, shaking his head. “Such a sweet girl, and such a terrible, tragic loss.” He frowned slightly, remembering more recent events. “That Belden girl was very lucky, indeed – but then, perhaps that was because her young man is not a Belden.”
He returned his attention to the image. “One day you’ll be avenged,” he told her softly. “One day I’ll prove what he did to you. One day they will pay.”
She Said
The welcome home party was in full swing when Trixie found herself suddenly alone at the edge of the Belden’s yard with her secret husband. She watched as he took a few moments to check that they were unobserved before speaking.
“Come with me,” Jim requested, taking her hand. “There’s something we need to do.”
Smiling her agreement, Trixie let him lead her up the hill to Ten Acres and into the summerhouse. “So, why are we here?” she asked, when he seemed to hesitate.
For a moment, words escaped Jim. “Remember when I left Sleepyside the first time and I left you and Honey a note, right here?”
“Of course I remember. You left me your great-aunt’s ring.”
He smiled, faintly. “Well, I was thinking that this might be the place to keep our rings – until we need them.” He took a small box from his pocket and pushed it into a hidden cavity in the rafter above his head. “You can’t see that, can you? I think they’d be safe here.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” she agreed, as he retrieved the box and handed it to her. “I’ve been sure that Moms is going to find them any moment.”
Kissing her tenderly, he gently undid the necklace she still wore and unthreaded the two rings. Giving her free hand a squeeze, he dropped them into the small, wooden box. He reached up and stowed the box in its hiding place and kissed her once more.
“Our secret,” she murmured, holding him tightly. “Until the time is right.”
The End